Adventures Magazine 2 | Page 83

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adventurous hikers, and the amazing beachfront freebies nestled among the coastal heath of the Friendly Beaches.

A COVETED VIEW

Without a doubt, the lookout above Wineglass Bay provides the most coveted view in Freycinet NP. The challenge for most is tackling the short but steep 1.5km uphill climb to get there, joining an incongruous crowd of sneaker-clad families, hardy bushwalkers hauling heavy packs to overnight on the peninsula, and international tourists keen to snap images of one of the world’ s most

Reaching the lofty lookout above Wineglass Bay. Whale watching from Cape Tourville Lighthouse. Seeing the shell middens on Hazards Beach. Sunset over the Friendly Beaches. Bathing at Honeymoon Bay rockpools. photogenic bays. By taking your time, this rewarding adventure is within reach of most visitors. The fun begins along the Hazards Circuit with a rigorous uphill climb to the Saddle Seat. This ingeniously-designed timber lounge, nestled between Mount Amos and Mount Mayson, provides the perfect excuse for a good lie-down. When the lookout eventually beckons you on, you’ ll spend only another minute or so on your feet before that hard-earned vista finally reveals why Wineglass Bay got its name.

There’ s no doubt that the lookout views are inspiring and worthy of all that hard yakka, but Wineglass Bay from sea level is no less enchanting and most walkers can’ t resist the urge to continue along the gentle downhill trail to the water’ s edge. If you’ ve packed a picnic, there’ s no better location to enjoy it than Wineglass Bay, surrounded by the peaks of the Hazards to the north-east and, to the south, Mount Graham and Mount Freycinet, the national park’ s highest peak at 620m.

A narrow isthmus divides these two ranges, allowing walkers to escape the crowds and journey on through tea tree scrub, beneath wattles and past silvery tarns dotted with wombat scat and the scratchings of echidnas, to reach Hazards Beach on the quieter side of the peninsula. This magical 11km loop through Freycinet’ s diverse wilderness takes around four to five hours, revealing everchanging scenes of a diverse landscape that you won’ t see if you just stop at Wineglass Bay.

Across the isthmus, the trail leads beneath high sand dunes carved by the sea to reveal ancient shell middens. Look for them as you beachcomb north past Refuge Island and Promise Rock. Beyond Hazards Beach, the walking trail completes its loop, traversing the coast around the base of Mount Mayson, reaching high lookouts and dropping down into tiny coves that make lovely rest spots.

ADVENTURES

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